The Twelve Days of Christmas
by Dr Blanche Mottershead
Summary: It's River and the Doctors first christmas together and the Doctor has twelve days of madness planned for the twelve days of Christmas. Just twelve little festive stories for the holidays. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Day One 

The Doctor cried out in frustration and let his arms flop to his sides, the wrapping paper and ribbons falling open around the gift.

"What is it sweetie?" his wife asked as she appeared at the top of the stairs above the console room. He leapt frantically forwards covering the present with his body.

"Don't look!" he cried, "it's a surprise. Go away!" River chuckled to herself and turned to walk back towards the Library. The Doctor watched her go and then turned his attention back to the present. He had to make it perfect. He had had it all planned out for weeks, every last detail, and it _had _to be perfect.

When the Doctor finally allowed River back into the room the air was filled with the soft sound of Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas songs, and the Tardis seemed to buzz contentedly in tune with the festivities. She had even decorated herself, great sliver baubles hanging from the ceiling, and lush leafy green garlands winding themselves up the banisters and pillars. She sauntered in, going slowly down the stairs, her hands held behind her back, a little smile playing about her pretty lips, and suddenly he had forgotten all of his planning, and could focus only on her, and of course, what she was hiding behind her back.

"What have you got behind your back?" he asked suspiciously. She grinned and revealed a small neatly wrapped cylindrical parcel. The Doctor beamed and ripped the paper off like an over excited, over grown child.

"Fish fingers and custard!" he cried out as he opened the warm cylinder to pull out a hot fish finger, dripping bright yellow custard back into the pot.

"Mother told me the story ages ago," River chuckled. He placed them still smiling on the console table and reached around him to present his poorly wrapped gift to his wife. River raised a single slender eyebrow incredulously as she eyed the wrapping, and opened it slowly, to find a small white silk bag inside; the bag had belonged to her mother. She looked at him, eyes wide, sadness reflected just beneath the surface.

"Doctor?" she breathed. He smiled comfortingly at her, and said,

"Open it." Reaching tentatively inside she pulled out the green and gold velvet star, her name embroidered in gold on either side, translated by the Tardis from the language of the Gamma Forrest.

"She gave it to me, saying that if ever anything should happen to her, that I should make sure you get it." The Doctor smiled softly at her, and she kissed him tenderly, wrapping her arms around him.

"Merry Christmas River." He smiled.

"Merry Christmas my love."


	2. Day Two

Day Two

"Where are we going?" River shouted over the racket of the Tardis as she crashed through time and space.

"Spoilers!" the Doctor shouted back at her; she threw her head back and laughed loudly, her eyes sparkling, and the Doctor couldn't help but grin at the sight of her. When the Tardis finally settled he grabbed her hand and they ran through the doors and out into the snow-covered mountains. River turned, looking wide-eyed at her surroundings. They were standing on top of a snow-covered peak in a clearing among tall dark fur-trees, an inky black sky above them, the Northern Lights dancing above their heads.

"Doctor," she breathed, "this is…"

"Amazing, beautiful, stunning breath-taking?" he grinned. "Isn't it just." River grinned and threw her arms around him and kissed him.

"You are brilliant," she smiled.

"Well," he grinned, "I try." Then he clicked his fingers and the soft sound of music drifted lazily out into the cold night air. River laughed.

" ' I can give you the starlight.' By Ivor Novello. How appropriate." She chuckled. The Doctor held out his hand to her.

"Will you dance with me Professor Song?" he smiled.

"Of course." And so they danced under the soft light of the Aurora until Boxing Day drifted to a close.

"Merry Christmas," he whispered in her ear, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Merry Christmas," she breathed as she rested her head on his shoulder as they danced with the lights above them.


	3. Day Three

Day Three 

River screamed and ducked as the Doctor sent a huge snowball rocketing toward her face. She ran towards him and rugby tackled him into the snow, landing on top of him, pinning him to the ground as she sat on his waist.

"Truce?" he begged.

"Never!" she grinned scooping up a large handful of snow and dumping it on his face. She jumped backwards from him as he tried to roll her face first into the snow. She dodged behind a tree to avoid another assault of snowballs, breathing heavily, her back pressed against the tree, concealing herself from his line of fire. She waited for him to appear and pelt her with snow once more, and as she waited, she watched a dark shadow move slowly between two trees not far off. She walked forwards cautiously, straining her eyes to try to see what it was hiding between the tall furs, once hand placed carefully on the hilt of her gun.

As River stepped forwards a tall rough-cut ice sculpture shot up in front of her. She leapt backwards in alarm only to collide with another behind her.

"Doctor!" she screamed. As he burst into view two more appeared either side of her and they raised their arms, trapping her in a tight circle, preventing her from escaping, from even reaching her gun.

"Doctor!" she screamed again.

"River!" he yelled as he ran towards his wife. But before he could reach her, a tight circle had sprung up around him, trapping his arms against his side, preventing him from reaching his screwdriver. As the two of the struggled to free themselves they heard a dark chuckled echo from the shadows of the tree line, making them look up. Madame Kovarian appeared, waking slowly towards them, grinning manically.

"Merry Christmas Melody." She grinned madly. And with a snap of her fingers, she and River were pulled rapidly under ground, leaving the Doctor struggling against his icy shackles, and screaming in to the empty clearing.


	4. Day Four

Day Four

River stood, shackled to the wall of ice behind her, shivering, her lips blue.

"This is a little primitive for you isn't it?" she said, forcing the words past her chattering teeth.

"Oh darling, this is just the dungeon. You should see the computer room upstairs," she smirked gesturing to the ceiling above them.

"Yeah? Perhaps I'll take a look before I blow it up."

"Shackled to a wall and still so confident," Kovarian mused.

"I'm the Doctor wife," she grinned. "Traveling with the Doctor gives a girl confidence so just imagine what being married to him does."

"Oh the cliché is sickening," Kovarian groaned. "You married the man you were meant to kill."

"What can I say," grinned River, "you just can't find the psychopaths these days. We're an unpredictable bunch." At this Kovarian grinned, a dark sly smile.

"You won't be when I am done with you. You'll be mummies little pet." She turned her back on her and went to pick up a long frosty syringe from a little table in the corner, filled with frosted blue liquid.

"What are you doing?" River asked, panic rising in her chest as Kovarian came slowly closer, raising the needle to point it at her temple.

"I'd say it wont hurt a bit," she grinned, "but that would be lying." She raised the needle and River felt its cold tip press against her temple, flattening her self against the wall, she screamed,

"Doctor!" Just as the needle was about to pierce her skin a loud, unmistakable whirring filled the air, and River heaved a sigh of relief. Kovarian snapped around as the Tardis materialised in the little cell and the Doctor stepped out of the doors.

"Step away from my wife," He growled.

"Where the bloody hell have you been!" River demanded.

"Magnetised snow particles," the Doctor said, "take and shape you want, easy to control and notoriously difficult to track, even for me. Sorry I'm late honey." He winked at his wife and then pointed his screwdriver at her shackles, which quickly sprung open. He tossed her a gun and she caught it, pointing it at Kovarian.

"Thank you sweetie," she smiled. "Now then, computer system? Upstairs right?" she looked at her husband and the both grinned.

"So if I do this," the Doctor said, pointing and sonicing at a bunch of wires which snaked up through a hole in the ceiling. The all looked up as the grone of a large computer system shutting down filled the air.

"And I do this," River grinned pointing her gun at a crack in the ceiling. "Merry Christmas," she growled. She fired a single shot through the roof and the Doctor pulled her into the Tardis as computer shrapnel and ice began to crash in around Kovarian and her little dungeon.

"Next time," River said once they were safely floating through space, "I plan the Christmas holidays."


	5. Day Five

Day Five 

River felt the feather light touch of the Doctors fingers trailing down the side of her face and slowly opened her eyes to find him gazing down at her.

"Hello sweetie," she smiled sleepily.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as she closed her eyes again and snuggled back into the pillows,

"I'm fine sweetie." She said, a hint of warning colouring her voice. "Just tired."

"River she held you in shackles made of ice for almost twenty-four hours and tried to turn you into her slave," he stated. "Are you sure you are okay?"

"I would be if you let me sleep," she grumbled making him sigh.

"At least let me heal your wrists," he pleaded, tentatively touching one of her badly bruised grazed wrists. She flinched at his touch a little, green eyes snapping open.

"Don't you dare," she said sternly, "I'm not having you waste anymore regeneration energy on my minor injuries!" she snapped.

"Fine," he huffed. "I'll go then." River sighed.

"No." She grabbed his hand as he turned to get up off the bed. "Don't go," she said softening her voice. "I'm sorry." He turned to face her once more and she chuckled at his sulky, childlike expression.

"You're like a child," she giggled. "I'm fine. I promise." He eyed her suspiciously for a minuet and she rolled her eyes sitting up.

"What are you doing?" he said as she rose from the bed.

"Getting up," she said simply. "I'm awake now so I might as well. And besides, you need cheering up."

"Me!" he exclaimed. "I'm not the one who was held captive!"

"No? You could have fooled me." She smirked and winked at him as she turned to change, disappearing behind the curtain.

She changed quickly and grabbed his hand running into the control room. She plugged in a set of coordinates and slammed down the lever making the Tardis lurch into space. Once it had stabilised she grabbed a fur coat off the hat stand and threw the Doctor his overcoat.

"You'll be wanting this," she grinned.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"Spoilers," she winked. Grabbing his hand she pulled him outside into a large clearing in the middle of a tall fir wood. Before them, was a grand castle, and out of it, walked a large man in a red and white fur-trimmed suite.

"Doctor," River smiled as the large smiling man drew closer. "meet my friend Nick."


	6. Day Six

Day Six

River and the Doctor strolled hand in hand through twenty first century London, chatting idly as they patrolled the city. So far there had been no sign of extra terrestrial activity, but as London seemed to be a hot spot for that sort of thing at Christmas they thought they would go looking for an adventure. As they rounded a corner in Covent Garden the Doctor stopped midsentence, staring at a spot just beyond the towering Christmas tree ahead of them.

"What is it sweetie?" River asked, once hand automatically reaching inside her coat to rest on the hilt of her gun, a frown creasing her forehead.

"I just thought I saw someone I knew," the Doctor muttered, still squinting at the spot just ahead of the Christmas tree. His eyes widened as Martha Jones looked up at him; she frantically pulled her phone from her pocket and looked from it, to him, and back again.

"Doctor?" she shouted. He grinned and clapped his hand together, shouting back,

"Martha Jones!" They ran towards each other and he hugged her, lifting her off her feat as they both squealed and laughed.

"I see I'm not the only one with a spotters guide." River mumbled to herself.

"But how did you know it was me?" the Doctor asked. Martha grinned and showed him her phone; on the screen were pictures of all the Doctors previous faces.

"Spotters guide," she grinned. The Doctor grimaced.

"That's embarrassing." He muttered.

"Aren't you forgetting something sweetie?" River asked, nudging him in the ribs to regain his attention.

"Ah! Yes!" the Doctor exclaimed. "Martha Jones, this is Professor River Song. River, this is Martha. We used to travel together." The women shook hands and Martha said,

"So are you his new companion then?" River laughed.

"I'm his wife," she said smugly. She couldn't help but smirk inwardly to see her smile falter a little.

"Oh?" she said. "Really? Well, congratulations I guess."

"It's complicated." River winked.

"Listen," Martha said suddenly, "Mum's having Christmas drinks back at ours. Just family, but you two should come."

"Oh we couldn't," River stared, but the Doctor interrupted her.

"We'd love too!"

The Doctor stood in the middle of the Jones family, animatedly telling the tale of one of their latest adventures over the loud Christmas tunes as the Jones family listened, laughing along with him, River standing at the edge, smiling politely as she eyed Martha suspiciously. She couldn't stop touching him! And it was beginning to get on her nerves. When Leo cranked up the music and everyone started to dance Martha pulled him into the middle of the room to dance. River watched as he flirted, danced and laughed with the younger woman, and finally she stood from her seat and walked out through the house into the back garden, mumbling something about needing some fresh air. She stood outside as tiny, light snowflakes drifted lazily from the sky. She hated playing the jealous wife, but she couldn't help it. God she hated drinks parties, well, this one at least. An alien invasion would have definitely been much preferred right about now.


	7. Day Seven

Day six: New Year's Eve

1935, New Years Eve at the Ritz, that was the plan. This way, River and the Doctor could enjoy the evening together without River worrying about bumping into any of his old companions. She could hardly blame them for falling for him, but that didn't mean that she had to like it. As they walked towards the hotel, it's music flooding out into the snow-covered street, the Doctor looked up at the dark sky.

"What?" River asked as he stopped, looking up.

"The sky," he said thoughtfully.

"What about it?" River asked impatiently, stamping her feet against the cold.

"It's dark."

"That's because it's night sweetie," she said, rolling her eyes.

"No," he said. "This is different. It's too dark. And look at Mars," he pointed, " it's too bright. Like some sort of light." River grabbed his hand and tugged him in the direction of the hotel.

"It'll be fine sweetie," she insisted. "Now come on. We're going to be late."

As they entered the Ritz they were blasted with the sound of loud swing music, the smell of champagne and the buzz of excited chatter and laughter. They handed their coats and hat the doorman and took a glass of champagne as the entered the ballroom. River downed her glass and pulled the Doctor onto the dance floor. But as they danced, the Doctor seemed distracted. His attention kept faltering, his eyes flickering now and then to the windows, the doors, from face to face. A shadow shot past one of the windows, making the Doctor whirl round to look gaze at the now empty window.

"What now?" River asked.

"I thought I saw something," he said cautiously.

"Like what?" she asked, concern seeping into her voice. As soon as she said it, another shadow passed the window, and another, and another. The two of them ran to the window and looked out into the street to see an ever-increasing number of Martian Ice Warriors encircling the hotel.

Suddenly there was a great shuddering crash at the front door of the hotel as they trembled and threatened to burst inwards.

"No, no, no, no, no!" the Doctor yelled running towards them. "Barricade the doors!" he shouted and a group of men ran forwards to try to hold them shut.

"What are they?" River asked once the door was safely secured.

"Their Martians," the Doctor grinned. "Ice Warriors. They've tried to invade earth for centuries."

"So," River grinned, "how does one stop a Martian."

"I don't know," he said. "Let's go pay them a visit shall we?" River laughed and taking his hand they ran though a back door and out into the street. Above them was a huge spaceship, so black that it was almost indistinguishable from the night sky, the little red lights of the teleportation systems blinking at them from above. As the next beam of light touched the earth and another Ice Warrior too his place the couple ran to take his place just as the beam shot upwards again, taking them with it.

When they materialized the found themselves surrounded by Ice Warriors, al of which were pointing a nasty looking long gun at their heads.

"Run?" River suggested.

"Run!" He grabbed his wife's hand and the sprinted down the nearest corridor.

"God I've missed this!' River laughed as they made their escape. "What is your plan sweetie?" she shouted over the racket of rattling ice armour that perused them.

"I don't know yet give me a minuet!" he yelled back.

They tore passed an archway in the wall and the Doctor yanked them both inside it and they watched as the Ice Warriors rumbled past them.

"Aha!" he exclaimed excitedly as he spotted a panel above his head. "The teleportation's system. River keep guard. If anything tries to stop us, shoot."

"I've been waiting to hear that all Christmas," she grinned, and soon the sound of gunfire filled the hall as the Ice Warriors spotted them once more.

"Sweetie you need to hurry up!" she shouted at him as the Warriors pressed slowly closer.

"I'm trying!" he yelled. "Reversing the polarity of a Teleportation System is not easy!"

"Even if you bring them all back up what are you going to do about the fact that there is a huge space ship hovering over London ready to send their army straight back down again?" she demanded.

"All in good time," he grinned. "When I give the signal," he said, turning her around so that she found herself facing the main engine control panel, "shoot." He said pointing at a large green circle in the middle of it.

"Just say when sweetie," she grinned. The Doctor slammed the two ends of the plug that he was holding together and Ice Warriors started reappearing in their pods.

"When sweetie!" he yelled. River threw her head back and laughed, firing a single shot into the heart of the panel and the Doctor grabbed her wrist, sonicing her vortex manipulator, and they were beamed back home.

As they hit solid ground again they watched, as the Martian space ship seemed to find it being dragged away from Earth.

"Very clever," River said, a hint of a smile at her lips. "Destroy the engine system of a Martian ship and it is automatically pulled back home for damage control."

"Well, I thought so," he grinned. And as Big Ben struck midnight, he kissed his wife, holding her in his arms, and whispered,

"Happy New Year."


	8. Day Eight

Day Eight 

The lights of the London South Banks Christmas Market glimmered, reflected off the surface of the Thames, like little balls of coloured light floating on its glassy top. River was leaning against the railing, gazing across the bank at the city beyond. She turned around to find the Doctor returning with a tall steaming cup of hot chocolate. She took it in both hands, smiling gratefully as the warms from the cup spread through her cold fingers. She stood, sipping at her hot drink as she listened to her husband ramble on about their little New Years save of the previous day. But as she looked over the rim of her cup she frowned as she spotted a little girl sitting on a bench not far in front of them, crying. She had a blue duffel coat on and bright red hair poking out from under her hat.

"Doctor," she said interrupting him mid sentence.

"What?" he said clearly irritated at having been cut off.

"That little girl," she said nodding in her direction, "does she look familiar to you?" The Doctor followed her gaze and his eyes widened as they settled on her. He spun around so that his back was facing her and he was looking directly into his wife's bright eyes. River looked at him questioningly.

"That's not just any little girl," he said. "River, that's Amelia Pond." River's eyes widened in shock and her hand flew to her mouth to stifle her gasp. "River I am so sorry," he said quickly, "I didn't think we would have any chance of bumping into her. I wasn't even aware of what year it was…"

"She's crying," River said frowning.

"You could go and speak to her if you like," the Doctor said quietly.

"But what if she remembers me in the future?" River said. "She can't know who I am until Daemon's Run."

"She won't." The Doctor smiled as he looked at the child version of his best friend. "She didn't even remember me when we met."

"You sure?" River asked.

"Go say hi," he smiled. "I'll be here."

As River walked up to the bench she realised that Amelia seemed quite on her own.

"Are you okay sweetie?" she asked kindly, making the child look up at her.

"Fine," she said thickly.

"You sure?" River asked, sitting next to her. Amelia looked up at her and shook her head.

"I can't find my mum," she said miserably.

"I'm sure she is here some where," River smiled. " Where did you last see her?"

"I was over there," she pointed at the stall in front of them. "And then I went to see the lights on the river and when I turned around again she was gone."

"She won't have gone far," River said reassuringly, "And I am sure she is looking for you too." Amelia shivered in the cold and looked up at River.

"Hot chocolate?" She offered the girl her cup and she looked at it suspiciously. "It's good," River grinned. Amelia took it in her hands and took a sip, grinning as she did so.

"I told you so," River chuckled.

"Thanks," Amelia smiled. "What's your name?" she asked curiously after a minuet.

"Melody," River smiled.

"I've got a friend called Melody," she said thoughtfully. River grinned again.

"What's she like?" she asked.

"Trouble." River laughed.

"I bet she is." As she said this Amelia looked up and spotted her mum among the crowd. She jumped up, saying,

"That's my mum." River nodded, smiling. "Thanks." Amelia said, before running towards her mum and jumping into her arms, throwing her own around her mother's neck hugging her close. River smiled as she watched. Suddenly she became aware of just how much she had missed with her mother, and when the Doctor came over she took his hand in her own, and they walked back to the Tardis in silence.


	9. Day Nine

Day Nine

River danced around the kitchen, humming along to the Christmas music. She bent down to pull out her freshly baked holiday cookies from the oven and as she opened the oven door a cloud of black smoke leapt out at her. She recoiled backwards in surprised and toppled over, crying out as she did so. The Doctor burst into the room, only to laugh at the sight of his wife sitting on the floor covered in blackened Christmas tree shaped cookies.

"What are you doing?" he asked as she stood up, brushing crumbs off her shirt.

"What does it look like?" she snapped. The Doctor looked at her questioningly and she glowered at him. "I'm baking," she said.

"Of course," he said. "Was just about to say that." He dipped his finger into a fresh bowl of mixture and River slapped his hand away. He licked his finger and grimaced.

"Oh come on," River said rolling her eyes. "They can't be that bad." She tried the mixture, and then frowned.

"Okay," she laughed. "I was wrong. They are that bad." They laughed and bent to pick up the little black Christmas trees and River looked at their little pointy edges thoughtfully. She grinned.

"Well," she said, "they could always be used as lethal weapons." It was the Doctors turn to roll his eyes.

"River, even you couldn't turn a Christmas cookie into a lethal weapon," he said incredulously. She grinned devilishly at him and he gulped.

"Is that a challenge?" she asked, raising a single eyebrow. But before waiting for an answer she laughed and said, "Challenge accepted!" She threw the cookie at his head and it hit him squarely between the eyes.

"Ow!" he shouted. They looked at each other for a moment, and then the both bent down to scoop up handfuls of the cookies and chased each other screaming from the kitchen, pelting each other with Christmas cookies.


	10. Day Ten

Day Ten

"River!" the Doctor yelled.

"Run!" she grinned. "Or rather, skate!" She grinned at him mischievously and took off as fast as she could down the frozen Thames.

"River for gods sake!" the Doctor cried as they raced away from the police who were blowing their whistles frantically at them and chasing after them.

"I'm sorry sweetie," she called back to him, "I couldn't help myself!"

They darted passed a small gateway and River stopped suddenly, grabbing her husband's arm and pulling him in before he could shoot past her. They ran up the exit of the river and ditched their blades, and sprinted towards the TARDIS. Once inside they slammed the doors behind them and the Doctor leapt up to the control panel, plugged in a set of coordinates and slammed down the lever, causing the TARDIS to jump violently into space.

"What was the point of that?" he yelled once they had stabilised. "For god's sake River what if we had been caught by the police. You can't be locked up in two different times you know that is not generally a good idea!"

"Well it was rather fun," River grinned. She held up the twinkling jewels in her fingers and watched as they sparkled in the light of the control room, little beams of light bouncing off the hundreds of faces on each bead. "She won't miss it much anyway. It's only glass," River said examining the necklace closely. Then she looked at the Doctor over the top smirked. "The real thing is _much _more grand," she added with a little wink. And the Doctor couldn't help but smile at the sight of her, all sparkly eyed and flushed from their escape. Though he didn't exactly approve of her thievery habits, he couldn't deny that she seemed at her best after a narrow escape like that, all smiles, glowing and breathless with excitement and adrenaline. She lived for those moments.

"What?" she smiled.

"You're wonderful," the Doctor stated simply. "Mad, but wonderful." She smiled, even blushing a little (though he couldn't be sure it was not from their escape) and walked up to him, throwing her arms around his neck and looking into his old eyes.

"I know," she grinned and the Doctor rolled his eyes. "I love you too."


	11. Day Eleven

Day Eleven 

River laughed aloud as the Doctor, all tangled in the lights from the Christmas tree, looked at her hopelessly from the floor where he was sitting amidst the mess of decorations and bits of tree.

"I thought you said you were going to put the decorations away not play with them," she grinned.

"But this is so much more fun!" he exclaimed as he tried to jump up, only to catch his feet in the wires and topple face first into a large pile of tinsel.

"Oh yes," River laughed. "This certainly is." He looked up at her, the fez she bought him sitting lopsided on his head. He tugged at the tinsel lying beneath her feet and she fell laughing on top of him. She kissed him, still giggling, and then proceeded to disentangle him from the mass of lights and wires. They shuffled over so that they were lying under the still almost fully decorated tree. It was like looking up into a forest filled with thousands of stars and ice fairies, the sharp light bouncing off the glass ornaments, making them glitter and wink down at them. The Doctor clicked, and from somewhere deep within the TARDIS they could hear the soft sound of Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas album drifting through the air.

"I did a duet with her once," the Doctor mused. "In 1935."

"Shut up!" River exclaimed grinning at him. "Did you really?"

"Yep," he smiled. "Nice girl. You'd like her. _Very _naughty."

"Are you trying to insinuate something?" River chuckled. "Because you know, I bought you that fez but I could just as easily dispose of it as I did that last one."

"Never," he grinned. "I value my fez far too much for that."

"Good," River chuckled. Snuggling closer she pulled his arm around her, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder. "You know, I've never had a proper Christmas before," she said thoughtfully.

"What?" the Doctor exclaimed. "That's a sin in some worlds!"

"Raised by psychopaths remember?" she said, "I never really had Christmas as a child. I mean, Amy and I would watch movies and exchange little gifts, but that was it." The Doctor looked at her, shocked and saddened by what she had just told him, though he could hardly be surprised.

"Well," he said, a smile flickering across his face, " we'll just have to see about that."

"Oh God," River laughed. "This year was mad enough. I dread to think what you've got planned for next year."

"You'll just have to wait and see Professor Song," he smiled, "Just you wait and see."


	12. Day Twelve

Day Twelve

The Doctor found his wife, settled on the sofa, fast asleep, the credits of The Snowman rolling slowly down the little TV screen. Amy had shown her the film when they had been children. The thought made him smile. He watched silently from the doorway as she slept, her chest slowly rising and falling in time with her deep rhythmic breathing, her long dark lashes falling just short of sweeping her perfect cheekbones, her full lips ever so slightly parted. He loved to watch her sleep. When she slept, she didn't have to pretend to be strong, or fearless, just for him. When she slept, she was just River, pure and simple. His River.

He walked quietly over and eased the remote control out of her slack grip and switched of the TV. Very gently, he stroked back a runaway curl from her face, and she stirred, her bright green eyes fluttering open.

"Hello sweetie," she mumbled sleepily.

"Hello," the Doctor smiled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay."

"Have I exhausted you?" he asked. She smiled drowsily and said,

"Yes. But it was worth it." A great yawn escaped her and the Doctor chuckled. "I should probably go to bed," she said quietly.

"Come along then Pond," he said. She smiled at his use of her real name and let him scoop her up into his long arms. She nestled her head into the crook of his shoulder as he carried her towards their bedroom.

"Thank you," she murmured.

"For what?" he asked softly.

"For giving me a real Christmas," she smiled.

"Any time," he said. "Every time," he added. "In fact, from now on," but as he looked down he saw that her eyes had once more drifted shut, her breathing once again deep and rhythmic. He couldn't help but smile to himself. He backed slowly into their room, and very carefully, he laid her on the bed. He pulled a blanket up around her and settled himself besides her, and, kissing her very softly, he whispered,

"Merry Christmas my love."


End file.
